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  • By Karen Carter


    The therapeutic utilization of movement and dance for the support of various functions of the body such as motor emotional, and, intellectual is what is referred to as movement/dance therapy. DMT is an abbreviation that is in common use. Australia and the United States are some of the countries where the term DMT is used. The UK and other nations use dance movement psychotherapy. The abbreviation DMP is used for this term.

    DMT is a form of expressive therapy. Movement therapy aims to identify the correlation between emotions and movement. DMP is one of the therapies that have a very long history. Dance has been used since early human history in healing rituals in death, sickness, fertility, and birth. The existence of the idea of dance not being simply an expressive art emerged in Europe and the US in the period between 1840 and 1930.

    Although the use of dance to heal was in use since thousands of years ago, its actual establishment into a profession and therapy happened in the 1950s. Marian Chance, the founder of American Dance Therapy Association played a major role in the establishment of dance as a therapy. There are two waves of the history of DMT. Chance spearheaded the first wave, whereas American therapists took great interest in the second wave.

    The theory of DMT bases on the belief that there is constant interaction between the mind and the body. Conscious and unconscious movements people make base on the dualist premise of mind body. Those movements reflect personality and affect total functioning in people. As such, the relationship between clients and therapists are in a small part based on body language and other non-verbal cues. A sense of wholeness is offered to every individual by DMT by exploring the unity of the spirit, body, and mind.

    The process entails four stages that must be completed. One must achieve the smaller objectives entailed in each stage. The bigger purpose of DMT is comprised of these smaller goals. Each individual has different goals and stages are customized for each person. Stages progress from one to the other. Where necessary, stages are revisited every now and then.

    The four stages of DMT are, preparation, incubation, illumination, and evaluation. The preparation stage can also be called the warm-up stage. It involves preparation of safe and sufficient space that does not have any obstacles or distractions. The client also creates a supportive relationship with a witness. Participants need to be comfort to be able to move while their eyes are shut.

    The leader prompts participants to venture into the subconscious during the incubation stage. Verbal contact is used to make the prompt. The subconscious offers a good environment to allow for the exploitation of emotions. The stage of illumination follows after incubation. Illumination stage is introduced in dialogue. The witness offers dialogue to conscious awareness to let self-reflection to begin.

    Through self-reflection, participants can resolve and uncover motivations within their subconscious. There are both positive and negative aspects of excess self-awareness. The session is concluded with evaluation where insights are discussed to understand their significance.




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